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Author
Topic: Tested Positive in October - Making sense of the numbers (Read 4137 times)

I recently received the results from my second Cd4 test and I am curious as to what I should make of them. When I last visited my ID doctor she stated that I should not be surprised if I see a significant drop in my cd4 level but that was not the case. Should I be concerned in the change in percent? I know this would just be an opinion. After reading the forums for a few months finally had the nerve to post. I am currently not taking any medication. Thanks for your time.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I recently received the results from my second Cd4 test and I am curious as to what I should make of them. When I last visited my ID doctor she stated that I should not be surprised if I see a significant drop in my cd4 level but that was not the case. Should I be concerned in the change in percent? I know this would just be an opinion. After reading the forums for a few months finally had the nerve to post. I am currently not taking any medication. Thanks for your time.

Glad you found this forum, I know I was! I have not been here that long, just dxd last spring but your numbers look GOOD! My doc focuses more on the VL because he thinks that keeping the virus beat down is the emphasis, per se, while the CD-4 may fluctuate. It's like he told me, I'm still going to have "normal" illnesses and my CD-4 count will vary but he likes to keep the VL low.

You can see from my numbers posted here that I started off in really bad shape but several months and Atripla have not only saved my life but have me on a course that, all things considered, is pretty damn good.

Hang in there and welcome!

Logged

Diagnosed in May of 2010 with teh AIDS.

PCP Pneumonia . CD4 8 . VL 500,000

TRIUMEQ - VALTREX - FLUOXETINE - FENOFIBRATE - PRAVASTATIN - CIALIS

Numbers consistent since 12/2010 - VL has remained undetectable and CD4 is anywhere from 275-325

My doc focuses more on the VL because he thinks that keeping the virus beat down is the emphasis, per se, while the CD-4 may fluctuate.

ANY good hiv doc will focus more on the VL when the patient is on treatment, like yourself, because the goal of treatment is for the viral load to be suppressed to undetectable levels. If the virus isn't being suppressed within a certain amount of time or if it rebounds, it means your combo needs to be reassessed.

When a patient is not yet on treatment, like Accord, the more important number is the CD4. It is the CD4 that normally dictates when treatment needs to be started.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Thanks for the replies. Are fluctuations in your cd3/cd4% somewhat normal or is this specific to hiv? I am currently considering particapating in research envolving the difference between those who start treatment with cd4 counts above 350 and those who don't. I have considered this for a while. I have asked myself a ton of questions. Do you have any recommendations/considerations?

CD4 counts are reported as the number of cells in a cubic millimeter of blood. A normal CD4 count is from 500 to 1,500 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. It is more important to pay attention to the pattern of results than to any one test result.

In general, HIV disease is progressing if the CD4 count is going down. This means the immune system is getting weaker and you are more likely to get sick. In some people, CD4 counts can drop dramatically, even going down to zero.

The test does not always correspond with how well you are feeling. For example, some people can have high CD4 counts and do poorly. Others can have low CD4 counts and have few complications.

If your CD4 count goes down over several months, your doctor may recommend:

Beginning or changing antiretroviral therapy.Starting preventive treatment for opportunistic infections.Public health guidelines recommend starting on preventive antiretroviral therapy if CD4 counts are under 200, whether or not you have symptoms. This is a later stage of HIV infection called AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Some doctors start therapy earlier, when the CD4 count reaches 350. If therapy is effective, your CD4 count should go up or become stable.

Most doctors recommend starting medication for opportunistic infections at these levels:

After being pos for over 20 years one of the things I learned was not to stress out over the numbers. I'm not saying they aren't important but to get caught up in the numbers can stress one out. I lean on listening to how my body feels. Sure I ask how my numbers are at the time of my check ups and if they have gone up in a good way , wonderful . If they have stayed the same thats ol too. A gradual climb in t-cells is better than a quick jump. I remind all that it was the turtle that won the race , not the rabbit.

Logged

Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.